


the coffee shop

by ayuminb, bythunder



Series: Modern!AU Adventures [8]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: (it's not much trust me this is all about NedCat being instantly hot for each other), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern Westeros, Background Characters - Lyanna & Robert and Benjen, Background Relationships - Lyabert, F/M, NedCat Week, it's not beta'd and probably full of typos that i'll fix tomorrow. so cheers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 07:05:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16656499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayuminb/pseuds/ayuminb, https://archiveofourown.org/users/bythunder/pseuds/bythunder
Summary: Deciding to attend Queenscrown University has to be, in Catelyn's opinion, the best thing she's done in ages.





	the coffee shop

She’s in such a hurry to get out of the snow that she stumbles when the doors are suddenly opened before she can reach them. Catelyn looks up, blinks, and swallows a gasp that’s trying to break free.

 

“Forgive me, miss,” the voice is soft and somewhat rough yet vaguely familiar; the face too, though her heart does a stupid little dance in her chest at the bashful, not-quite-smile aimed at her. “I didn't mean—”

 

“It's fine,” she says, tries to smile reassuringly, and mumbles a quick ‘thank you’ when the stranger holds the doors open for her.

 

_ Handsome stranger, _ supplies her mind, a quiet correction. Catelyn takes a quick look around, noticing the little coffee shop is full today, and counts her blessings that the waiting line is not that long. And then she looks back, over her shoulder and catches the eye of the handsome stranger for brief second; the smile comes surprisingly fast to her lips, and he returns it.

 

Then she turns just in time to make her order; her smile widens, instead, in greeting. “Lya.”

 

“Cat!” The girl leans over the countertop to give her a brief hug, one she returns. “The usual?”

 

Before she can respond, the guy leaning on the counter, that she’d failed to notice and now she wonders  _ how _ considering his massive size, braces his elbows on the countertop and grins at Lyanna, and says, “How come I didn’t get a hug?”

 

Charming grin and startling blue eyes and a handsome face framed by curly black hair, tall and broad and muscled; Catelyn turns on her friend to gauge her reaction.

 

Lyanna simply smirks back. “That’s ‘cause you’re not a regular. And – I  _ like _ Cat.”

 

“You  _ like _ me, too,” he replies, undeterred.

 

The Stark girl scoff, and turns to prepare her Pumpkin Spice Latte, but doesn’t deny it. Catelyn smiles at that, amused. When she turns back, it’s with a bright smile and her PSL. “There you go. So, tell me,” the way her eyes purposely avoid the black-haired stranger, it’s too obvious to draw any other conclusion, “how’s the northern winter treating you?”

 

“Well enough,” says Catelyn, choosing to play along; she’ll ask what’s the deal later. “I’m only wearing two pair of pants.”

 

Lyanna laughs, and the guy lets out a long-suffering sigh.

 

“The lady ignores me, I must’ve done something wrong.”

 

There’s a smile on his face that betrays his real meaning; Lyanna cracks then.

 

“Robert,” bracing her elbows, she leans closer until there’s little room between their faces, “he’s waiting for you.”

 

“Let him wait—ouch!” Lyanna pushes him back a bit too roughly in Catelyn’s opinion, but  _ Robert _ just laughs and doesn't resist, walking away backwards. “I’ll see you later, Lya!“

 

“It's Lyanna to  _ you!” _

 

Catelyn can't hide her smile quick enough, and soon she has one disgruntled Stark facing her. “I haven't said anything,” she states, holding up the hand not holding onto her cup.

 

Lyanna rolls her eyes, but smiles back eventually. “So, are you fleeing to Riverrun during the break?”

 

******

 

Ned taps his heels on the pavement, huffing in resignation as he casts another look over his shoulder and notices Robert still trying to chat Lyanna up.  _ I shouldn't have introduced them. _ But then, he honestly didn't think they would hit it off, if in a… weird way. He sighs and turns to look around the street, smiling fondly as he takes in the scenery. Winter was coming, that’s for certain. There’s a nip in the air and the snow is falling in fat white flakes, covering the street in a glittery white dusting. 

 

He looks back around when he hears the chime of the bells, Robert’s finally left Lyanna. “Bugger this cold,” he huffs, shoving his hands under his armpits for warmth. “You Starks are unreal, you know that?”

 

“It’s not that cold,” Ned argues, as they begin walking down the street. Ned peers in the window of the cafe, offers a wave to Lya as they pass, and  _ she’s still there _ . It makes him feel like a teenager, the way his heart seems to stutter just catching a glimpse of that gorgeous red hair, the memory of her lovely smile. It’s been a long time since he’s had a crush like this, and gods, how stupid it that, he doesn’t know the first thing about her other than how pretty she is. That’s– that’s  _ Brandon _ , that’s not him. But that rational part of his brain turns to goo when the girl turns around to see what Lyanna’s making a face at, and  _ she’s cute when she laughs _ . “Robert— Who’s that girl talking to Lyanna?”

 

“The smokin’ ginger?” Robert shrugs. “Friend of Lya’s, I think. Said she was a regular.” He pauses a second as he realizes, throws an arm around Ned’s shoulder and punches him in the side. “You dog!”

 

He curses the way his skin betrays him as the blush rushes to his cheeks. “It's not— ”

 

“Should we go back and introduce you to her?”

 

Robert tries to turn him around, but he resists. “I don't even know her name!”

 

“Cat, it's what your sister called her. Now—”

 

His foolish heart thuds eagerly in his chest, only after hearing her name, and suddenly he dreads what kind of disaster it would be to stand in front of such a pretty girl and try to… chat her up. “No,” he says, shaking his head, he's no Brandon after all. “No, Robert, we've things to do.”

 

“Chopping wood isn't as important as this,” says Robert, a bit of a whine in his voice, yet smiling still, “nor as entertaining.”

 

“But it is what you promised my mother we would do. Now let's go.”

 

******

 

The following days have Catelyn running between classes, rushing to finish off homework so she’d have no worries during the holidays. The dorms at Queenscrown University were unbearable cold for her though, a problem with the heater, someone said, shrugging it off, but for a southron girl like her, it was enough to have her running to the one place she knows would be warm and cozy.

 

The Wolf’s Den Cafe.

 

Lyanna had laughed at her, but let her take command of one of the tables near the back, even going as far as marking “reserved” whenever she wasn’t sitting there. The perfect place, since it allows her a wide view of the place, but mainly keeps her in sight of the counter.

 

Which is how she manages to be witness to this weird flirting dance going on with Lyanna and Robert. No matter how much her friend insists that it isn’t an official, least of all  _ exclusive _ thing, she sure acts like it.

 

As does he, even if they both seem to be oblivious to it.

 

Catelyn smiles and turns her focus back onto her homework. When she looks back up, her breath catches and— _ there he is. _ Her handsome stranger, and no she will not elaborate on that, slapping the back of Robert’s head before turning a gentle smile on Lyanna. He comes in as regularly as Robert does, these past few days, solemn and quiet but so very captivating when he allowed a smile to pull at his lips.  _ Stop waxing poetics, Catelyn Tully, you don’t even know his name. _ Every time she’d thought to ask Lya about it, she chickens out, and it’s not like she’s the shyest girl there is but.

 

_ But. _

 

She’s never been the girl lusting after one of her friend’s brothers.

 

Yes, she’d deduced that one right quick. The same long face and eyes, the same dark hair, if Lyanna’s always danced on the edge of messy. Catelyn’s met little Benjen, so this man must be either Eddard or Brandon. She’s heard nothing but praise about both Stark men from Lya, her hero worship though seems more intense with her eldest brother, the one called Brandon. But nothing she’s heard can really help her place a name to her handsome stranger.

 

As discreetly as she can be, Catelyn watches in amusement as Lya’s brother takes Robert by the neck and steers him away from his sister, waving goodbye before leaving.

 

******

 

Ned should know better than to say yes to his sister before she asks for a favor, before even saying what it entails. He really should, but as it is, he’s always felt a little guilty that he went off to a boarding school and missed most of her childhood, unlike Brandon.

 

So Lyanna ask him to say yes, and that’s what he does.

 

That’s how he ended up taking over her place at Mother’s coffee shop, with a name tag spelling his full name, saying over and over, “welcome to The Wolf’s Den, what would you like?”

 

Benjen’s snickering doesn’t help and neither do the curious glances from their female customers. “They’re checking you out, Ned, relax and enjoy it! Brandon does when he helps out.”

 

Yes, Ned can believe that. All this attention from women is exactly the kind of thing Brandon likes. It’s not the attention that bothers him, Ned knows how to appreciate it and ignore it if it becomes too much.

 

It’s the girl that’s yet to come what has him all nervous. Pretty redheaded friend of Lya’s, with her startling blue eyes and lovely smile, whose name is Catelyn and that is all his sister had been willing to say, stating that, if he really is interested, he should get to know her himself.  _ Easier said than done, _ he thinks, just as the bells above the doors chime and she walks in. Right on time.  _ Stop, Stark, you’re starting to sound like a stalker. _

 

“Oh,” it’s a soft gasp.

 

Ned blinks, cursing mentally that he’d gotten lost into his head long enough for her to come to stand before him. Rubbing the back of his neck, he debates if he should just ask her if she’ll have the usual, since Lya had told him that much at least, but fears it might be too bold and creepy.

 

So he stutters.

 

She smiles, glances at his name tag, and then back up at him. “Hi, Eddard, Lya said her big brother would replace her today.”

 

He blushes, curses himself mentally for it, but smiles bashfully at her. “Um, yes… shall I get you the usual…?”

 

“That’d be lovely, Eddard.”

 

“It’s Ned,” he says before he can talk himself out of it. “Just Ned, only my parents and grandparents call me Eddard.”

 

Her hand comes forward, and he’s grabbing it with his own even before he can make the conscious decision for it. “Catelyn,” she says, smiling wide.

 

Her skin is warm and soft and he is reluctant to let go, but has to as her PSL is not gonna make itself.

 

“I… was having a hard time placing a name to the face,” Catelyn says, while he prepares her coffee, and her cheeks bloom with a lovely blush and  _ damn him for his foolish crush. _ “Lya talks a lot about her big brothers, Ned and Brandon, and I’ve seen you around sometimes but I didn’t know which…” She makes a vague hand gesture, as her smile turns just a tad shy. “Yeah.”

 

“I’m most definitely not Brandon,” he replies, smiling now, feeling slightly more at ease. “He’s taller and broader, for one, louder too.”

 

“Like your friend?”

 

That startles a laugh out of him but he nods. “Like Robert, yes. Though perhaps not  _ just like _ Robert, but as close as anyone can get.” He fumbles with the cardboard sleeve, wondering if maybe he should, you know, take a chance and do as Brandon or Robert would in a situation like this.  _ Maybe… _ It might be worth a shot, he gives a resolute nod. “Will you be staying today?” He asks, head tilting to indicate her empty table.

 

But Catelyn smiles and shakes her head. “Not today, I’ve some late christmas shopping to do.”

 

A few more seconds fumbling with the cardboard sleeve, and Ned hands over her PSL, giving her a smile. “Well, Catelyn,” and if she blushes upon hearing her name, well, he’ll take that as a good sign, “it was nice to meet you, and… I hope I’ll see you around.”

 

_ I really do. _

 

“I hope so, too.”

 

She takes her coffee and smiles and waves at him as she walks aways and dammit all but Ned’s sure he has a stupid grin on his face.

 

Benjen appears by his side punches his arm. “Gods, you’re  _ so  _ lame.”

 

_ Yup, definitely stupid. _

 

******

 

Catelyn wonders if she’ll have the time to make another stop by the coffee shop, looks over her shoulder to catch little Benjen laughing and  _ Ned _ simply shaking his head— Maybe, she  _ can _ spare a few moments and come back.

 

It’s only as she lifts her cup to drink that she notices it, and she grins, taking out her phone right away.

 

Ned’s given her his number, along with a sweet message and a request.

 

So she types her reply, and hit sends.

 

_ It’s a date. _


End file.
